Johnny Vegas: 'Art came to the rescue when I needed an outlet'

  • ITV Channel's Tim Backshall went to meet Johnny Vegas, whose art has just gone on display in Jersey


Comedian-turned-artist Johnny Vegas has revealed how art gave him an essential outlet for wellbeing and happiness as he's staging his first ceramic exhibition at a Jersey gallery.

He made the move "from comedy to clay" after rediscovering his artistic talents during lockdown.

Johnny described feeling "incredibly anxious" about exhibiting his creations, saying "unlike performing, you can't tweak [them] on the night" and once they are on display, "every opinion is valid".

"You can't go anywhere [in Jersey] without seeing something that you just want to try and commit to canvas". Credit: ITV Channel

Vegas has a BA in Art and Ceramics from Middlesex University, and when "life got in the way" it became "an unfinished part of my story".

On a national scale, he expressed concern that art can dismissively be seen as merely a "hobby".

He said: "It has been sidelined too much" and art needs to "get back in the forefront of the conversation".

"The amount of time I portion to my art is increasing, and I think I've earned that right". Credit: ITV Channel

When asked for his first impressions of Jersey and its scenery, having never visited before, he was extremely complimentary:

"I want to have a go at landscapes... I'm finding it [Jersey] really inspiring... it has unlocked something in me I didn't really know was there".

The exhibition is open at Sommerville House on Philips Street in St Helier until Saturday 26 August.


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